January 14, 2021
  • Partnership to allow consumers to complete transactions by voice with a variety of popular brands
  • Companies plan to further enhance the in-vehicle experience by integrating Cerence Drive with the Xevo Glass infotainment platform

BURLINGTON, Mass., and BELLEVUE, Wash., Jan. 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cerence Inc. (NASDAQ: CRNC), AI for a world in motion, and Xevo, a part of Lear Corporation (NYSE: LEA) and a global leader in connected car software, today announced that they have formed a strategic collaboration to deliver Cerence Pay conversational AI-powered contactless payment capabilities into vehicles via the Xevo Market commerce and services platform. Xevo Market, already live in millions of connected vehicles on the road today, enables ordering, completing transactions, and taking advantage of services with popular brands via the in-vehicle touchscreen – and now via voice with Cerence Pay – while on the go.

Leveraging Xevo Market and Cerence Pay’s powerful voice technology will enhance and expand the companies’ already impressive in-vehicle offerings by making it even simpler for consumers to make purchases and complete contactless payment transactions from the car. Drivers will not only have the ability to find nearby locations and order from popular brands in a variety of categories such as food, fuel, parking, and more, but also pay securely through their vehicle using their voice. The partnership will also help drive new revenue opportunities for OEMs.

“As we support our OEM customers in meeting increasing driver desire for intuitive, technology-forward experiences in the car, we are proud to partner with Xevo to offer a unified in-car payment and marketplace solution,” said Sanjay Dhawan, CEO, Cerence. “Together, Cerence Pay and Xevo Market deliver an all-in-one, integrated solution that supports drivers through the entire purchase process, enhancing their safety and productivity on the road and delivering new contactless payment solutions.”

“Xevo is always working to help automakers deliver the most advanced connected-car experience possible, and partnering with Cerence helps deliver on that goal,” said John Absmeier, CTO of Lear Corporation, parent company of Xevo. “Cerence Pay is an exciting advancement in on-the-go transactions and is a powerful enhancement to the Xevo in-vehicle commerce platform, particularly with the current emphasis on contactless interactions."

In the future, Cerence and Xevo will look beyond in-car commerce to further integrate their offerings with the goal of delivering a safer, more productive, and satisfying in-car experience that will enable automakers to maintain their brand identity, customer relationships and control of vehicle-generated data. By integrating Cerence Drive’s conversational AI capabilities with Xevo Glass, the evolution of Xevo’s Journeyware, a full-featured infotainment platform, the companies will provide automakers with a complete, all-in-one solution that is fully customizable to meet the needs of their individual brands and drivers.

To learn more about Cerence, visit www.cerence.com, and follow the company on LinkedIn and Twitter. For more information about Xevo, visit www.xevo.com.

About Cerence Inc.
Cerence (NASDAQ: CRNC) is the global industry leader in creating unique, moving experiences for the automotive world. As an innovation partner to the world’s leading automakers, it is helping transform how a car feels, responds and learns. Its track record is built on more than 20 years of knowledge and more than 350 million cars shipped with Cerence technology. Whether it’s connected cars, autonomous driving or e-vehicles, Cerence is mapping the road ahead. For more information, visit www.cerence.com.

About Xevo
 Xevo, a division of Lear Corporation, is a Seattle-based global leader in connected-car software and a development partner to some of the world’s largest automakers. The company’s award-winning automotive software solutions make it possible for automobile manufacturers to deliver groundbreaking in-vehicle experiences while allowing automotive OEMs, merchant partners, and service providers to capitalize on new monetization opportunities. From in-vehicle commerce and media applications to mobile apps and enterprise services, Xevo leads in automotive software deployments worldwide, with its software solutions active in more than 40 million vehicles on the road today. For more information, visit xevo.com.

Contact Information
Kate Hickman
Cerence Inc.
Tel.: 339-215-4583
Email: kate.hickman@cerence.com

Lindsey Jesch
Xevo
Tel.: 714-306-6006
Email: ljesch@xevo.com

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